Life Purpose Help - Is Sport A Creative Pursuit?

[ajs]

I am in the middle of the Life Purpose Course and have come to problem.  I am at the task where I need to choose three moments in my life when I felt excited, passionate and inspired with a focus on creativity.  After doing this exercise I came up with three specific moments in my life when I felt excited, passionate and inspired all involving playing sport.  These moments clearly stand out from others in my life and were very strong experiences I would describe as near spiritual in nature.

 

The problem I have is that Leo said these three moments should be focused on creative persuits.  I am unsure whether playing sport qualifies as a creative endeavor.  The three moments described involved playing golf, ultra marathon running and a long distance cycle tour.  I am certain on the fact that I felt excited, passionate and inspired in all three but don't really associate them with creativity.  Furthermore, upon further contemplation I am unable to come up with any other moments in my life where I felt in such a way while being creative.  All times while feeling such emotions seemed to involve me following already proven methods and the use of diligence and perserverence rather than creativity.  I had a similar experience when choosing my role models.  I instinctively looked to choose sports people and adventurers rather than more people who were more creatively inclined.

 

So my question is should I stick with the three extremely passionate sporting moments or go back and try to dig up some moments that  more focused on creativity even though the feelings associated with them will not be nearly as passionate?  All thoughts and opinions truly appreciated.

[Leo Gura]

@ajs That is fine, but your challenge in this work will then be to find a way to harness the emotion contained in those sports experiences and put it to productive, creative use.

I'm sure it can be done. But you'll have to think a bit outside the box. Meaning... it won't be as simple as saying, "Okay, I get a thrill out of playing golf. So that means I should be a professional golfer or golf coach." No! You need to think deeper and connect more dots. What does the thrill of golf say about the kind of impact you want your creative work to have on people?

"Creative work" and also be interpreted broadly. For example, someone like Bear Grylls does creative work. But it's not your typical idea of creative work. It's more kinesthetic.

You sound like a kinesthetic person, so you'll need a life purpose which feeds into and off of that.

Find a way to make it creative rather than competitive. Competitive sports are shallow and short-lived. You gotta find a way to build something with your activity.

[Nahm]

3 hours ago, ajs said:

I am in the middle of the Life Purpose Course and have come to problem.  I am at the task where I need to choose three moments in my life when I felt excited, passionate and inspired with a focus on creativity.  After doing this exercise I came up with three specific moments in my life when I felt excited, passionate and inspired all involving playing sport.  These moments clearly stand out from others in my life and were very strong experiences I would describe as near spiritual in nature.

 

The problem I have is that Leo said these three moments should be focused on creative persuits.  I am unsure whether playing sport qualifies as a creative endeavor.  The three moments described involved playing golf, ultra marathon running and a long distance cycle tour.  I am certain on the fact that I felt excited, passionate and inspired in all three but don't really associate them with creativity.  Furthermore, upon further contemplation I am unable to come up with any other moments in my life where I felt in such a way while being creative.  All times while feeling such emotions seemed to involve me following already proven methods and the use of diligence and perserverence rather than creativity.  I had a similar experience when choosing my role models.  I instinctively looked to choose sports people and adventurers rather than more people who were more creatively inclined.

 

So my question is should I stick with the three extremely passionate sporting moments or go back and try to dig up some moments that  more focused on creativity even though the feelings associated with them will not be nearly as passionate?  All thoughts and opinions truly appreciated.

I've golfed for decades, done 300 mile cyclist events, etc, also. I feel I relate and may have some insight that could be helpful, as I've also been drawing and painting since I was 4. By the time I graduated high school I had a painting literally hanging in the White House. Yes, that's boastful, but credibility is what I'm hoping to communicate. I want you to have the quan, and you are very close.

Remember back when you first started those fitness things. It took a LONG time to get to the level you are at now. Along the way, you learned dedication, focus, persistence, etc. You learned to overcome you're own bullshiting. That's huge. (Yuge?) These are spiritual in nature because you shed fat, did all kinds of amazing things for your body and brain,  and ultimately you kicked your whole biological self into high gear. That is blissful because you physically and mentally have less resistance, and therefore more connection to the oneness. But, these are not creative. This is where you are confused.

Creativity is not different then athletics. 

How many sketches have you sketched? How many paintings have you painted? How many sculptures have you sculpted? Have you even shroomed at an art museum yet? What depth of conversation have you had with established artists? How many books have you read on creativity?

I hope you see what I am trying to convey. Athletics and creativity function then same. 

Neuroplasticity: The brain gets better at doing whatever we do. 

A guy I know started a company making a mouth guard for football players that has a 'tape' inside it that changes color if you bite too hard. Repeated head injuries are signaled with a high force bite. It's not the perfect fix for this issue, but coaches can check the tape and at least it's a start.

You can of course use your passion for athletics with creativeity, but it sounds like you are expecting to be creative without much practice.

People being born 'talented' accounts for 50% (genetics). Seems to me it is this way so we inherently have choice. If it was 51%, this would not be so.

But it is so.

Godspeed! Best of luck!

 

[ajs]

Thanks for clearing up my confusion Leo.  Also, agree with your comment on competitive sports being shallow.  I do realize the deep satisfaction I derive from sport is more to do with internal battles and triumphs than the external.  Thanks too Nahm.  I did gain an insight from your reply and managed to see things from a perspective I hadn't noticed before which is helpful.

[Nahm]

@ajs Don't forget, you're a fuckin ass kicker!  You're the unstoppable force! Sports brought that out of you. Now you get to use it. You've done 99% of that work already. 

[Guest username]

@ajs I have a question: You ever daydream about could be possible with the stuff you're excited about rather than just what you've seen done?  The way kids daydream all sorts of fantastic dreams, no matter how unrealistic, I mean. It can seem silly, but it's a start. Be a kid again and let your mind go wild with the possibilities. Harnessing that creative, playful madness and tempering it with mature, reason can create great things.

Don't be afraid to be crazy sometimes.

 

 

[kieranperez]

I'm honestly having a VERY similar struggle to this. In the life purpose course exercises, all I keep coming back to is the fact that I want to leave a legacy and impact through my creative endeavors as an athlete. Not in an egotistical way. I want to make my sport and the way I race not about beating people, but into art form that inspires people. 

I feel stuck because I'm like 'I don't have the genetics to be that kinda athlete.' Yes I know that's a common excuse people use sometimes but I think when we're talking about athletics (especially for me as a runner) it's a very valid one. Not to mention I keep thinking 'this feels just way too self centered because I feel like SHOULD be impacting people more directly, e.g. Coaching and what not. However, it just doesn't hit home at all. I truly want my pursuits as an athlete to be my legacy that touches people and inspires people to get out the door and get the best out of themselves because for me, running and sports is spiritual if you take it serious enough. I just love the life of being so committed to my sport. I love waking up super early like at 5am, doing meditation, having my tea, visualizing my athletic pursuits, making breakfast before the sun rises, stretching then driving out to where I'm gonna run and do my session. I get lost in the stretching, the warm-up, etc. I just connect with the life of a 100000% committed athlete who just has the desire to do it till the grave and also be self coached because I want people to be inspired to lead their own lives and learn how to be self driven. 

Again though, sports is different because a lot of it just comes down to if you have the genetic makeup to even reach such a level. 

Im doing all the visualizations, exercises, everything but I keep "should'ing" myself to be more realistic and what not. However, I love my sport so fucking much that it's always been my way out of low moments such as suicide even. My running brings the most meaning because I feel like it's a perfect metaphor for life.

@Leo Gura what are your thoughts? I think this is a matter a lot of athletes struggle with and abandon their athletic passion not cause of superficial/egotistical ways, but because they don't know what to do with such a pursuit/passion.